sanguine seeker

2011-12-24T11:31:00.001-08:00

"May happiness,
pursue you,

catch you
often, and,

should it
lose you,

be waiting
ahead, making

a clearing
for you."

A. R. Ammons

trust

2011-12-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

Why does life
always present itself
in a manner
that hasn't been seen before?

If only things were
like a routine theatre act
and well rehearsed and timed
and everything ran smoothly
like clockwork precision
Predetermined and pre-run
practiced over and over
till one got it right
All the characters
who know their roles
all the equipment in place
and the effects added by experts
and the costumes designed to perfection

If only one was the actor
who knew what to expect

If only one had the strength
to trust the journey till the end

Signs

2011-11-25T10:23:00.000-08:00

Wild thoughts

Encounters

Some unknown

Some familiar

make me wander

make me walk

endlessly

searching for clues

looking for signs

that show the way

that the road leads here

that the road leads nowhere

that this turn is risky

that the road is uphill

that valley is deadly

and this one leads to

to a river that flows

and flows and flows

Groping in the dark

looking for the signs

they are right here

hidden somewhere

they told me to look out for them

that its easy once you get there

they told me that its so very clear

that once you see

then you just know

But

then I must be blind

to what beckons me

or the signs that reveal

they may be lost

or in a language

that I never learned

or in words that I

cannot decipher

In a mystery that

I havent yet discovered

Aihole-Pattadkal-Badami-Hampi-Bijapur

2011-11-13T10:34:00.001-08:00

2011-10-21T11:33:00.001-07:00

"Blessed are the forgetful for they get the better even of their blunders."

Friedrich Nietzsche

2011-05-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them - Albert Einstein"

2011-04-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

Cept .15/4/11

How the environment affects growth and learning-

creating an environment conducive to learning is the first step to achieving excellence in an educational institution.These few days of visiting Cept and then IIM and other institutes have triggered memories of visits to similar buildings and environments Ive visited, studied in and experienced throughout childhood upto architectural education. As a flash it brings forth the similarities of such environments and the undeniable reputaion of excellence significantly attached to such institues. It is very evident that behind such endeavours a very strong vision is present. Behind tht vision, a clear long term objective , defined by a sound philosophy and a determined attitude to "make it happen."

2011-03-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

The courtyard is silence... to talk about the courtyard is to break the spell

..............Architecture is beyond numbers

..............Architecture is about designing experiences ....

amongst other unforgettable things I learnt from Nari Gandhi and his simplicity ..,Nari Gandhi the master craftsman . With the ability to design the most beautiful things from the simplest of materials .

Some images are etched in my mind for good.

2011-03-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained. – Mark Twain

2011-03-10T04:48:00.001-08:00

Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television.
Woody Allen

messy desk

2011-03-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

2011-02-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

"My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel."

Sheikh Rashid

My Corner

2011-02-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Each has a place
Each his own territory
You don't invade mine
And just let me be 'Me'
Don't cross my path
Though my thoughts are mixed
but come what may
my goal is fixed
the list is never ending
of the tasks that are pending
Perhaps the path keeps changing
and the moods are swinging
but the spirits are high
and the mind is working
and mercilessly relenting
to the constant pressures
that time is imposing
But in the midst of this madness
in the middle of this chaos
I want to be still
and I want to be calm

I see myself in the eye of the twister

I see the whole world

around me moving

and twisting and turning

upside down

and round and round

I need my space ,
I need my place
in this corner of the room
I need to keep grace

Tribal Days

2011-01-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

2010-12-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

Great people like us work on the principle of rockets, not that we aim for the sky,but we don't start performing unless our ass is on fire

The state of my bed after an hour of shopping !

2010-10-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

2010-09-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

My inspiration for the day ....

" I believe that producing pictures, as I do, is almost solely a question of wanting so very much to do it well.

I could fill an entire second life with working on my prints"

M.C. Escher

2010-09-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

2010-09-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

"Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed
Maybe they just need to run free till they find someone just as wild to run with them!"

stolen line .. but makes sense to me .

environmentalist

2010-09-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

A friends status message on gtalk!

Earth ka kuch karo ... varna "unearth" ho jayega !

Un do

2010-09-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

Eventful days ..
Much chaos
So much to do
But it never gets done
So many things to say
But some things should have been left unsaid
Some things I wish undone
Some things im slow to learn
Some things I haven't earned
One of those moments I feel
enslaved by my thoughts
held back b'cause of actions
uncomfortable situations
unhealthy conversations
unlikely assumptions
mundane solutions
Its about time.......
to clear ones head
to sort the mess
to steer the way
Its up to me
to make my own day!

2010-08-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Murphys Law
If a series of events can go wrong, they will do so in the worst possible sequence

So its been proved officially that July's are a disaster especially when it ends like this ...........
Some best laid plans never kick off.. Some nightmares creep on you. And one day you end up falling in a ditch. quite literally! Skidding , screeching brakes and then falling BAM.A gaping hole in your knee stitched up , much pain and doomed for a week in bed. And then the boss calls..Its like a Grand Finale to a the Series of Unfortunate events.

Dear God,
Praying for a better August...

"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
-Cyril Conolly

scribbling

2010-07-18T00:06:00.000-07:00

2010-07-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

I hate Julys.
I hate them .
I love the rain ..
but I hate the noise
I love the greens
but hate the blues

Its the time
to stick together
To remember
each time
This is it
This is all there is
This picture of my life
will always be
Incomplete

2010-06-30T20:15:00.001-07:00

"I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any." - Mahatma

2010-06-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

Started another blog for the more serious topics ..
http://devinakirloskar.wordpress.com/

Meanwhile , the seasons changing and so are some other things. ...........
Time to get the camera out

2010-06-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Read somewhere.

Contrary to what many women believe , its easy to develop a long-term , intimate and mutually fulfilling relationship with a guy. Of course , the guy has to be a Labrador Retriever.

tch tch.. the cynic that I am ...

2010-05-14T04:00:00.001-07:00

something lovely appeared in my inbox ....

"What other people think of you is none of your business !"

well put

2010-05-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

Found this poem somewhere ... but the title was missing .
Loved it so much . Ill put it up on my wall now .

There is living and there is existing,
If you are living, life will take your breath,
In tasting honey, you may get a sting,
But life stagnant is worse than death.

Bite into life and let the juice run down,
Lives are not measured with chances untook,
Enjoy the blooms now, in time they’ll be brown,
Chances for lovers are often forsook.

Forget all the past, look not for your fate,
Take life by the horns and live for today,
Hard times will come if you rush the gate,
But interesting people have suffered worse fate.
Take hold of the world and go for a ride,
Cause not all men live, but everyone dies

-Lucas John Kimmel

Descending purple

2010-04-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

My colours of Summer

2010-04-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

The golden shower tree has captured my heart of late .
Summer is here.
The Laburnum, the Gulmohar and purple Jacaranda are in full bloom.

2010-03-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

I keep going back to "Shantaram" to recollect many meaningful quotes.

'You're a good listener. That's dangerous, because it's so hard to resist. Being listened to - really listened to - is the second-best thing in the world.'

'What's the first-best thing?'

'Everybody knows that. The best thing in the world is power.'

'Oh is it?" I asked laughing. "What about sex?'

'No, apart from biology, sex is all about power. That's why it's such a rush.'

I laughed again.

'And what about love? A lot of people say love is the best thing in the world, not power.'

'They're wrong,' she said with a terse finality. 'Love is the opposite of power. That's why we fear it so much.'

.............................................................

"The real trick in life is to want nothing, and to succeed in getting it"

.............................................................

Truth is a bully that we all pretend to like
.............................................................

Luck is what happens to you when fate gets tired of waiting.
.............................................................

Happiness is a myth. It was invented to make us buy new things
.............................................................

A dream is a place where a wish and a fear meet. When the wish and fear are exactly the same, we call the dream a nightmare.

Mind in circles

2010-03-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Like driftwood
floating aimlessly
in the water
and then caught
by swaying currents
and getting stuck on a
drooping branch
and twirling in circles
caused by the pothole
thus going round ...
and round...
in circles
as I say it again
in circles...
makes my head spin
go round and round
Whats the point ?
when you cant fight back
and the current is strong
so strong...
whats the point ?
when you end up
again and again
where you started

The beginning of a circle is also its end.......

2010-03-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

Whosoever wishes to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details.
Knowledge is not intelligence.
In searching for the truth be ready for the unexpected.
Change alone is unchanging.
The same road goes both up and down.
The beginning of a circle is also its end.
Not I, but the world says it: all is one.
And yet everything comes in season.
- Heraklietos of Ephesos

Perfect dream

2010-03-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Waiting and waiting
for this time to pass
waiting and waiting
for that time to arrive

The perfect moment
The perfect setting

Quiet in the midst of
sounds of only birds
and rowing of the boatman
splashing of water on the oars

And then you watch
and soak it in
Like a deep breath that
makes you alive from within
etched forever in your mind
it cannot be erased
Even the click of the camera
cant capture the image

As you look above
and they fly overhead
Pink with their "S" necks
A few hundred they said
Flying in a "V "
whilst changing formations
with unspoken coordination
diving and gliding
with almost divine grace
Sighting these beautiful flamingoes
almost seem
like I just stepped into
the perfect dream!

Tiny Self

2010-03-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am small,
inconspicuous,
unimportant.
Almost
insignificant
I have no worth
my presence does not matter
I am just a speck of dust
in this Universe

My role is so small to play
that my actions don't count
They don't make a difference
What is destined will happen
What a worthless life
And what worthless thoughts
are ambition, hard work and ultimate happiness
Its not going to last
Its never going to last
So what's the point of trying....
Trying to save the world?
when its all doomed any ways

Its just a matter of time
A matter of space
and "matter" of course

No, no!
I'm not manic depressive
Just the temporary low
as I walk out of the Space Museum

2010-02-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

"You wait for the good moment-the infamous first thought-but nothing happens. There is a thought of giving up the whole thing, or else trying to crank something up artificially. But neither one of those things works. Then you sort of become distracted by something else- and when you come back, there it is!"

-CTR, 'True Perception' Dharma Art

Truly inspiring book . Still reading . more views to come

2010-02-20T01:51:00.000-08:00

Some moments are to be treasured always .
And even the moments when you remember those moments you treasure.
And even the people you share them with .
And even the spaces you experience them ....

2010-02-17T00:51:00.001-08:00

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.”

— Albert Einstein

I wonder if we all are intelligent fools . I think we are. All moving in one direction -towards destruction.

2010-02-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Oh! There's a million stories And a million ways to get there from here...............
................
........And I can hear you sleep beneath the candlelight I can see your dreams like they were mine

Some songs hit home ...Some lyrics make you think .
Words can be deceitful.
If they are meant to mean one but they are understood as something else.

Im back to square one . And I see it as a good thing . How beginnings are always a good thing. Its only somehwere in between that the tightrope gets scary to balance.When you cant go back and cant reach the other side. But then again , the other side is a new beginning.
.. yes I know im rambling . Please bear.

Prayer

2010-01-11T06:56:00.000-08:00

So many people
and the noise is deafening
and the blaring loudspeakers
with holy chants
the crowded market
the busy street
the bright colours
the shining idols
The pavement is dirty
And people washing their feet
and the long row of people
is never ending
and at last you sight
the orange painted idol
and prostrate
when you close your eyes and sit to pray
and somewhere in the midst of all
the chaos and the noise
you enter this world
far far away
this place I cant put in words
I tried to draw but the pencil didn't move
No song , no poem can describe this space
I tried to speak about it but words failed me again
And then perhaps I think its best
to let it be......
........Let it be.

Time to be jolly

2009-12-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

“We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.”

Swami Vivekananda

Just one of those days . that gets you thinking .
Have your experience of life made you what you are today or
did you choose this life , brought it forth by letting your thoughts create your reality .

Just a way of looking at things . Some thoughts just make you more cheerful than others

Merry Christmas .. :)

Flying Moments

2009-12-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

While looking below from a high rise terrace
watching ant size men
walking the street
And all of a sudden
I take a leap ..

and wind whooshes past my ear
Suddenly I look up
and see those clouds
Shining behind them
something orange
something bright

then it disappears
and it all turns dark
the loud noise of crashing
I feel the drops , cold and harsh
Looking down now
its all hazy
the greens, the browns
and the yellows
merging together
blurring my vision
going round and round
in circles again
my heads spinning
my heart is thumping
I'm moving too fast
and as I'm struggling
all of a sudden
in that life altering moment

it all becomes clear to me
the light is white and
every thing's bright

All I have to do
is flap my wings ...
the sky is mine, the clouds are mine
the ground is what Ive left behind
I belong to the sky
I belong to the clouds
I belong high up where the bird sings
If not so then tell me why..
tell me why
God has given me wings

2009-11-20T04:46:00.000-08:00

Men who crave power look back over the mistakes of their lives. Pile them all together and call it destiny.

I wonder if that true .It makes sense in a way, I guess. I wonder if we all do that , not just men who crave power. I wonder ... well never mind.. I have things to do . Ill let it pass

The Glass Palace and other stories

2009-11-16T03:41:00.000-08:00

"Every life leaves behind an echo that is audible to those who take the trouble to listen "
Amitav Ghosh author,The Glass Palace

Its incredible how much we urban folk depend on electricity. Id almost forgotten my good habit of reading fiction, but thanks to the 48 hour unnecessary blackout caused by the cyclone Phylus or Phlegm whatever, it was revived.(hopefully not to be lost again).Much better use of time than aimless browsing and television watching. I rather enjoyed reading "The Glass Palace" by Amitav Ghosh, which was lying untouched on my shelf for the past year or more. I have a liking for Indian authors or writing based in the Indian context for fiction.Like Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri etc. Its not only because of the context but because of the writing style and the emotional connect as well.

The Glass Palace is probably one of the few books Ive read based on such a real historical event. Its very real, the depiction of the colonial era. I think what struck me was the way he has built the characters of the story. The women especially, who are not gentle .Reminds me of my grandmothers stories of the freedom movement and the beginning of the modern era as she told me.

I miss my grandmother suddenly. She was way ahead of her times and a free spirit to say the least. Some may argue that she neglected her family in her forthrightness and independent nature, but I have always looked up to her. Maybe Ill write her story someday . Or use it as an inspiration.Just like Ghosh converted his family stories into this novel.

Well,to summarize this weekend Amitav Ghosh has inspired me. and that is a sign of a true artist.

2009-11-04T01:36:00.000-08:00

I became an atya of an adorable baby girl yesterday. I was so excited , drove to the hospital as soon as my brother called.And there she was , all wrapped up and sleeping soundly. What an adorable sight. Babies have this content look on their face. And its admirable how they can demand attention just by crying . One wail and there are five people at their mercy , whether its feeding time or diaper change or just plain tantrum for no apparent reason.

Anyways, I know something for sure. Life is a miracle. Babies are a blessing and God exists.

mau and her newborn

2009-10-31T05:32:00.001-07:00

mau and her newborn
Originally uploaded by sanguine seeker

They are just adorable......
:)

2009-10-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”

Albert Einstein

It only sums up my thoughts on schooling and education .

Expectations

2009-10-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Expectations are the culprit ultimately, I have noticed, when it comes to emotions connected with people.
You form opinions of people based on your past experience, or some preconceived ideas, others experiences or even superstitions. And there you form an imaginary datum line. Some people fall short and you are disappointed, or angry or hurt even. Others exceed it and you are happy and content .Then the datum line shifts higher and your expectations increase. And then as you get more and more impressed ,it shifts higher consistently and you assume this is probably heaven. And then,suddenly as if something exploded , you are let down .Its a terrible moment to imagine.

If there's anything to wish for in that moment , its the wisdom to understand that people live by their own choices. And not by your expectations. And I realise that if they did live by my expectations just to see me happy, it would only make sad.

Hmm..Did I just contradict my theory.? maybe not...Thoughts can be complicated.

2009-10-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

I miss him all the time .

But especially, Ive noticed, randomly, in the most absurd moments I think of him. When I'm deeply engrossed in doing something.When frustrated about not getting something right and breaking my head on something , I suddenly lose focus and turn away to see the reality around me. That is when I remember the old happy times. In that refreshing pause.That reassuring moment....that real life is just fine. I feel nice about that. That its all okay. Everything is just fine.

I feel happy about feeling that feeling.
And I'm glad that he chose the life he did because that created all those pleasant memories that I keep falling back on today. He taught me this one thing among countless others , not to lose focus of reality.

Today on the site , with all the construction going on, this labourer woman was busy piling bricks on her head struggling to meet the deadline I had imposed on her and the other workers. Her 10 month old child was playing in the sand. And every break she took she spent playing with him and holding him. I noticed that today. Until yesterday I only felt bad , felt pity..I even got from home a old worn out chaddar for the poor child to make myself feel better (I believe charity is a selfish act done to feel good about oneself)
But today I saw them so happy , playing and laughing just like any other family.
And I smiled .. and I missed him yet again ...

and I smiled.

2009-09-30T05:03:00.000-07:00

Edmond Dantes: I don't believe in God.
Abbe Faria: It doesn't matter. He believes in you.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Being Me

2009-09-29T01:29:00.000-07:00

I loved Rita.Yes I mean not just the movie, but her character as well . A simple movie , and such a real story. She could have been anyone....you .. or me.

It brings you to so many realities.That sometimes people who show you the way, your mentors ,turn out to be the very reason for your misery.

That after a point its not love that counts, its about living with self-respect.

And sometimes your own thoughts and actions enslave you.

In a nutshell , Life is all about being free .... being Me!

Pretence

2009-09-27T06:01:00.000-07:00

I guess Im just pretentious. I haven't been updating my blog , or my flickr album. how can I ? when I haven't been giving it much time . Writing or photography... or any of the artistic skills I claim to have.

Its time to make a resolve. Maybe sharing your thoughts isn't so bad after all.

I read something nice. Seems to make sense.

"You can't escape roots
in search of an identity"

happy holi!

2009-03-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

untitled

2009-03-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

The climber

2008-11-29T18:06:00.000-08:00

This tree and and the climber in my back yard.

Learning to live together and thus grow and evolve is the biggest lesson to learn.

the garland maker

2008-11-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

The precincts of the temple

Under the shade of the tree

I glance upon orange flowers

Between silver threads plaited neatly

With betel stained teeth she smiles at me

And offers the garland to show me

The whiff of the flowers rings in my head

The petals are soft and so delicate

The moment holds me still

Until I descry

That I almost missed her coarse hands

The callused toes and the ill guise

With the polythene bag as her carpet

And a scissor her only device

She cuts the thread thriftily

To hold it between her toes

With the other hand by precision

She knots the flowers in rows

It’s in that instant

I realize that

The story of the garland

Lies unfinished ……

If the garland makers role

Is diminished

2008-11-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

I think cats make good sketching models .

quick sketch ..early morning ...looking for inspiration.....

.

2008-11-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

Been almost a year since I wrote last. What have I been upto ?

Learning to Run

Hoping,happening, making breaking
Teaching, dreaming, waking, living
Alive again and running again,
Seeing the fate , the murky clouds,
the stormy winds,
pulling back

Pushing myself ,being pulled again...
Walking in stride and stumbling again

Analyzing
solving
preaching
proving

Standing
Walking
Running
Living

smiling again, thinking aloud
Listening to the music again

Looking around,
feeling the breeze,
Sweating through ,
cramps in the knees

Aching ,
Panting ,
Sweating
Stopping
............its overwhelming

I'm smiling because
I'm running again....
tomorrow begins again

where do I belong

2007-11-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

2007-11-16T22:33:00.000-08:00

..long time no write.... or maybe 'no right' .. or 'no rite' ... Maybe the artist within has taken a 'break'.This back breaking 'break' business leaves me all confused. Maybe I should just be doing my duty ..karma..without worrying about the end result. No inspiration ??? Just an excuse. Afterthought: Allows me to think . Aaah ... now that sounds like a valid excuse. No write;because I was busy thinking.
Will think some more. be back in a while .:) :P

Premonition

2007-09-18T02:02:00.000-07:00

When it rains it pours
And it pours so thick

The green seems grey

And you cannot see clear
What its trying to show

But it rains and it rains

And the lightning bolt
as it tears the clouds apart
And the clouds fight the bolt
they rumble and they grumble
But you cannot hear
what its trying to say

And it rains and it rains

But when you feel the cool
rain drops
fall on your skin
And the winds blow away gently
the hair from your face
As you watch them
wash the world for the new
Your heart skips a beat
Something is gonna happen

You know its a sign
Maybe good, maybe bad
But your fates going to change

And the worlds going to change
And begin another day!

blade of grass by brian patten

2007-08-07T01:03:00.000-07:00

I like this poem .its so simple.

blade of grass

You ask for a poem.
I offer you a blade of grass.
You say it is not good enough.
You ask for a poem.

I say this blade of grass will do.
It has dressed itself in frost,
It is more immediate
Than any image of my making.

You say it is not a poem,
It is a blade of grass and grass
Is not quite good enough.
I offer you a blade of grass.

You are indignant.
You say it is too easy to offer grass.
It is absurd.
Anyone can offer a blade of grass.

You ask for a poem.
And so I write you a tragedy about
How a blade of grass
Becomes more and more difficult to offer,

And about how as you grow older
A blade of grass
Becomes more difficult to accept.

-- Brian Patten

Take a picture!

2007-08-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

Village girls near Bedse Caves,pune

I recently discovered photography as an art form. And I should admit that it took me by surprise. I never saw it as more than mere collection of memories. The usual way family and friends capture moments on occasions they want to remember.

Now it means more to me as I am exploring its depths. It’s like sketching, in a way, as you express the way you look at things, when you see beauty in simple everyday things. It has the same visual characteristics of line, form, shape, light and reflection.

It seems silly, at first, to note that when objects that already exist, capturing them in their natural position should be considered a form of art. In fact it is a debatable issue amongst most artists of whether it is a form of art or at best a craft. But I know now that whether art or not, it has helped me personally to look at things with a different perspective.

It has helped me understand ‘light’ in a better way. How light changes the way an object appears, by its shadows, by its intensity. Even the colour of the light can change everything. I’ve learnt how composition is vital .The way the picture is framed decides what should be seen or rather what you want to be seen.

I think this is a great example for composition

God lies in the details they say. I think observing these small things would have been unknown to me had it not been for macro photography.

Photography has helped me even to understand colour in a better way. Colour can be deceptive. In all visual arts, it plays a vital role. The colour of the object and background changes the whole composition .What is highlighted and what goes in the backdrop. Black and white is beautiful because it allows you to see beyond colour. Lines, tones, shadows become the lead players. Suddenly, light makes all the difference.

And so, im learning. This is just the beginning.

I discover

2007-07-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

They told me that the sky is blue

But I’ve seen the shades of purple and pink

And the bright dash of orange hue

Between the clouds of subtle cream

They said the trees with its brown branches

Have leaves which are so green

But the green I saw… a thousand greens

With yellow, brown and blue

Hidden underneath

So when they told me the path to be taken

With the least trouble to be undertaken

The simplest straightest beaten path

Will lead to the desired destination

But the destination I do not know

As I look up at the high mountains

It could be beyond, could be right here

The answer lies hidden in an adventure

The beaten path seemed lacklustre

Thus I made my path.. a trifle longer

The path is narrow with hurdles laden

But the air seems clear,

And the mountains beckon

The birds are whistling

And the flowers are beaming

My spirits soar and my smile widens

As once again................ I discover!

The King And I

2007-07-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

This is a song from 'King And I' which lifts my spirits whenever im down

Whenever I feel afraid
I hold my head erect
And whistle a happy tune
So no one will suspect
I'm afraid.

While shivering in my shoes
I strike a careless pose
And whistle a happy tune
And no one ever knows
I'm afraid.

The result of this deception
Is very strange to tell
For when I fool the people
I fear I fool myself as well!

I whistle a happy tune
And ev'ry single time
The happiness in the tune
Convinces me that I'm not afraid.

Make believe you're brave
And the trick will take you far.
You may be as brave
As you make believe you are

You may be as brave
As you make believe you are

The music dies.....

2007-07-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

The instrument

With all its strings

Taut and tuned

The music sounds

Each string plays a different sound

Each string assigned a special task

And when together it plays…….

The music sounds

Each day it plays a different tune

A different song…..the same song

Resonates within and without

Harps its way inside and out

And while its playing my favourite song

Snap … .it makes the unwished sound

One string breaks……my heart breaks

Without which I cannot play the song

The music dies a sudden death…..

The memory resonates in my head

basket and structure

2007-05-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

The basket gets its form by simply interweaving cane strips which mutually support each other.

Art and Indian Schooling

2007-05-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

Ive always associated abstraction with a childs thoughts.

"Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories

from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of

swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.

In the book it said: 'Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After

that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for

digestion.'

I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a

coloured pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One.

I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing

frightened them.

But they answered: 'Frighten? Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?'

My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an

elephant. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing:

I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They

always need to have things explained.

The grown-ups response this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa

constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to

geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar. That is why, at the age of six, I gave up

what might have been a magnificent career as a painter. I had been disheartened by the

failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. Grown-ups never

understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and

forever explaining things to them"

The Little Prince, De Saint-Exupéry

Little Prince is my favourite book because it showcases exactly the same thought.

I think art should be encouraged from a young age. Most schools in India encourage ‘drawing’ and it is included in the syllabus. The problem does not lie there but the way it is taught in schools. In the west, the priority lies on developing the child’s creative thinking and expression. Even to the extent of taking his artwork seriously in some cases for psychological analysis.

Schools here still follow the mechanical approach which has probably not evolved since my parent’s school days.

Considering an ordinary case, the child of three would be asked to draw an apple. The ‘apple’ is usually the first lesson. This is probably because A stands for Apple as the first letter of the alphabet. Or the reason could be worse; like not being able to move on since the British rule because leaving aside all the local fruits, including the ‘Mango’, Indian kids are always taught the phoren ‘Apple’ first. An apple which is necessarily bright red with a small shoot on the top with exactly two leaves on each side. And the apple is always symmetrical.

The worst is yet to come. What distinguishes the ‘Great Artist’ from his peers would be his ability to colour inside the figure, correctly without allowing his crayon to move out of the line. Poor thing. And yes, crayons because hes not ‘allowed’ to use watercolors till hes ten years old.So the child believes he is an artist because he seems to be able to hold his hand steadier than his peers. Same lessons would be repeated for orange, banana, tea cup, dog and maybe rainbow. Well,obviously the rainbow is the easiest way to teach colour. It does not mean the child might have ever seen a rainbow in real life. He proceeds to the next class. The lessons get worse. The subject: Landscape drawing. But of course the best artist would be the one who draws a house with a sloping roof and a distinct round window on the gable wall. The background; two triangles representing hills and the bright orange sun (with or without eyes and a smile) setting exactly in the centre. The ‘Great Artist’ has completed the next level.

It may be an exaggeration but only slightly. Of course there are exceptions but we are not counting those. This is the typical way of teaching art in most urban schools in India. I’m restricting the word ‘art’ in the above paragraph to only painting, i.e. visual art because that is the first thing that is taught to a child in school.

But the point is that this kind of very rigid system has its repercussions in the same childs growth as an individual and his adult life. Compartmentalized thinking, structured and systematic thinking is essential in certain fields, but not all. In my opinion, it is the very reason we produce better engineers and doctors than artists. The result of this educational system is lack of analytical thinking. There are Indian artists who have broken this trend. but it would definitely help if creative thinking is encouraged since childhood.This would lead to better work in every field where creativity is predominant. Better writing, better films, better paintings........ sculptures, architecture,fashion, books, dramatics, poetry, music and dance.

Art is something that has to be incorporated in everyday life.

sanguine seeker

2006-11-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

…i walk

i see

i wander

new dimensions

new scales

new heights

where am i going?

where did i begin?

each day

leaves an impression..

each day

a new lesson..

its me and change that’s constant..

no.

just change…

its the only constant

i’m not the same person anymore…

the one i was yesterday….

i move on

i walk

i wander….